rewire a home

It can be all too easy to forget about the wiring in your home. After all, your brain happily focuses on more visible issues like paint chips and broken kitchen appliances. However, your home’s wiring is a vital part of your day to day life and your safety. Electrical fires cause around 300 deaths and over 1,100 injuries every year, and over a billion is lost per year to property damage resulting from electrical fires. In fact, bad electrical wiring result in around 51,000 fires every single year. You don’t want this to happen to your or your family but it easily can if you neglect your home. But how do you know when you need to rewire a home? Here, in no particular order, are the top ten signs which indicate that it’s time for you to rewire a home:

Rewire a Home if There’s a Burning Smell

If you can often smell burning and the scent doesn’t seem to go away, you may be having serious wiring issues. You should always turn off the power at the circuit and get in touch with an electrician immediately if you suspect that there’s a burning smell caused by an electrical issue in your home.

Electrical Shocks

If you often get an electric shock when you plug something into outlets in your home, this could be a sign that your wiring is faulty. This can easily happen over time or as a result of a bad original job, and it should be corrected by a professional rewiring.

Outlet Sparks

Similarly, if your outlets often spark when you plug something in or out of them, you need to beware. Don’t ignore this sign that something is wrong with your rewiring. Consult an electrician if you notice continual sparking from your outlets.

Dim or Flickering Lights

If the lights in your home are continually dim or flickering, there could be something wrong with your wiring. One dim or flickering light is usually nothing to worry about. However, multiple imperfect lights is a sign that you need to rewire.

Sizzling Sounds

Does your house sound like you’re grilling in the backyard, even when everything should be quiet? Then you’ve probably got an issue with your wiring. Sizzling sounds can be a sign of electrical faults, so start thinking about rewiring your home if you keep hearing them.

Tripped Circuit Breaker

Your circuit breaker will trip if your electrical system can’t handle the amount of power running in your home. There are a few other reasons why your circuit breaker might trip but it is often a sign that you need to rewire, so consider calling an electrician if this keeps happening.

Blown Fuses

Equally, if the fuses in your appliances keep blowing, you might have a problem. One blown fuse could be a fault with the product or a coincidence. Continually blown fuses are a cause for concern. Your house may need rewiring if your appliances keep blowing, so don’t ignore this important sign.

Discoloration on Outlets and Switches

Your switches and electrical outlets will often end up discolored as a result of old or bad wiring. Tiny sparks and fires can cause a charred appearance which will become noticeable over time. If you start noticing this discoloration, contact an expert about getting your home rewired.

Loose Outlets

Your home may need to be rewired if your outlets are hanging loosely from the wall. Even if they’re just a few millimeters off the wall, they could easily cause electrical fires.

An Old Home

Sometimes, it’s simply the most obvious problem. If you’ve got an old home and you haven’t rewired it in a long time (or ever!), then it may be time for a rewiring. An expert, like the ones at Piper Electric, can help you figure out if it’s time to rewire your home.

Professionals to Rewire a Home

Here at Piper Electric, we’re always happy to assist you with your electric needs. If you want to rewire a home, get in touch with us to find out about your options. With over thirty-five years of experience in electrical contracting, we’re always ready to help you get the best service possible.

Outdoor Electrical System

Summer is coming, is your backyard ready? If you’ve already freshened up the patio furniture and cleaned out the grill, it’s time to update your outdoor lighting. This task is often overlooked, but it could help make your summer nights both magical and enjoyable. Here’s how to get your backyard and outdoor electrical system ready for summer.

Below are a few ways that lighting is used in backyards:

  •   For illumination, safety and functionality — You need lights to see when it’s dark outside, so it makes sense to design outdoor lighting with this basic function in mind.
  •   Security — Outdoor lighting also helps improve security outdoors by discouraging potential intruders.
  •   Aesthetics — Backyard lighting sets a certain mood, helping to make being outdoors more welcoming and intimate.

Lighting for Illumination, Safety and Functionality in the Backyard

The first order of business is to ensure all walkways, stairs, entrances, patio doors, and functional areas (such as the barbecue and outdoor cooking areas) are adequately lit. Likewise, if you plan on eating outdoors, adding built-in lighting to your patio cover could provide the perfect amount of light you and your guests need to enjoy the meal.

If you have a pool or spa, these areas will need to be illuminated sufficiently. An electrician can help design a lighting scheme that lights up these areas both functionally and aesthetically.

While you may not necessarily want to draw attention to your side yard, you might want to consider adding motion-activated lights here to provide illumination when accessing trash cans or a side gate.

Lighting for Security in the Backyard

Many families leave their windows and patio doors open on summer nights, helping to cool their homes. Unfortunately, burglary rates increase by about 11 percent in the summer thanks in part to open windows and doors, empty homes while families are on vacation, and valuables left outdoors at night.

Adding flood lights, motion-activated lights, and general outdoor lighting can help make your home less attractive to potential burglars.

Lighting for Aesthetics in the Backyard

Outdoor lighting can play an important role in the aesthetics of your backyard at night. Not only can outdoor lighting, make your home feel more welcoming in the dark. Meanwhile, fairy lights, umbrella lights, rope lights, and other backyard lights can transform your backyard into a nighttime wonderland. Whether you’re enjoying time alone with your family or hosting a backyard party, set the mood with outdoor lighting.  

Off-the-shelf string lights and solar lights are good DIY lighting projects that can add sparkle and personality to your backyard. For pool and spa and larger outdoor lighting projects, you’ll want to enlist the services of a reliable electrician to ensure that your project is wired properly and according to all applicable safety and local building codes.

Your Outdoor Electrical System

Piper Electric provides professional residential electrical services for both your indoor and outdoor electrical system in the Denver area and can help transform your backyard into a nighttime wonderland. Contact us today for a free estimate.